


Looking Out For Your Village

by Flashofhope



Category: We Happy Few (Video Game)
Genre: Arthur makes a new acquaintance, Gen, and helps out his new town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 18:52:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15824871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flashofhope/pseuds/Flashofhope
Summary: After moving in to a new village, Arthur gets dragged into doing some good, despite his best efforts to keep to himself.





	Looking Out For Your Village

With a new village to call home and a steady job working as a clerk, Arthur had adjusted to his new life after leaving Wellington Wells nicely.

Working as a clerk for the village council, Arthur did not mingle with any else, besides the council workers. Before everyone in the village recognized him, Arthur was the newcomer with an unknown past. A clean slate. He liked it that way.

After council business was over, Arthur passed through the village square on his way to an underground shelter on the outskirts of the village. Though, it lacked the same comfort as a house, it was a roof over his head and Arthur was grateful for the familiar living quarters.

Wrapping his arms around his chest for warmth, Arthur tried to ignore the piercing wind battering against his back, when he noticed a piece of paper being carried away by the wind. Curiosity taking over, Arthur jumped into the air and snatched the paper before it was blown out of arm's reach.

Expecting a grocery list or a letter, Arthur was surprised to see that the paper was in fact a flyer, featuring an illustration of the Greek temple The Parthenon. Turning around to see where it came from, Arthur noticed a woman catching her breath. No doubt as a result of trying to reach the flyer.

"Here, you dropped this." Arthur handed the woman the flyer, her face softening at the sight of it.

"Thank you, I should have held on tighter to this." The woman waved the guilty flyer and placed it in her purse. Tucking a strand of wavy, copper blonde hair, behind her ear.

"It _is_ pretty windy today." Arthur reassured her with a smile. The weather was pretty poor today, it could have happened to anyone.

"If we were in Greece, we'd be bathed in sunshine." She said in a wishful way, looking up at the cloud covered sky.

"We don't get much of that around here, do we?" Arthur joked and mentally berated himself for making such an obvious joke when the woman didn't respond.

"Have you ever raised money for a fundraiser, by any chance?" She changed the subject. So that's what she was thinking about, while I was making pointless small talk. Arthur thought to himself.

"Can't say that I have. I did collect scrap for the war effort one time, if that counts." Arthur recalled his previous endeavour with Percy. It was the only effort of his he could remember, remotely related to her goal.

"I think it counts." She remarked, with a kind voice. "Do you think you could help me? I'm looking for volunteers to help me raise money for a school trip to Greece this year. It would mean a lot to the students to travel overseas and to see historic architecture for themselves."

"I could go knocking door to door and see who's feeling generous." Arthur offered. She seemed so keen when telling Arthur about the prospective trip overseas. Who could say no?

"And who will I be giving the money I raise to, miss—?" Arthur asked. The thought of asking the lady for her name, finally popping into his head.

"Elaine. And thank you for doing this, the kids will be so happy."

Right. No pressure then.

—

After taking on a task that Arthur's inner critic thought was biting more than he could chew, Arthur strolled through the village. Going door to door and charming his neighbours with anecdotes and jokes, in the hopes of drumming up donations.

"What's the difference between ancient Greek ruins and a bombed house?" Arthur asked a middle-aged man, who answered the door. If anyone got the war joke, it would be him.

"Don't know."

"The Greek ruins are still standing." Arthur delivered the punchline. Getting a laugh out of the man with his joke, about the state their country had once been in.

"Oh, that takes me back! It's been years since the air raids…" The man recounted unfortunate times, whose remnants in Wellington Wells, Arthur was all too familiar with. It would be easy to let memories fade away, Arthur supposed. If most of the buildings were repaired. People got on with their lives.

Unlike the Garden District. Whose crumbling walls served as a painful reminder of how the war had ravaged the landscape.

"I'm raising money for the school's educational trip to Greece, you see. Any change you could spare would be appreciated." Arthur explained and began to question how convincing he'd actually been these past few hours, when the man handed him a one-pound note.

"There's nothing quite like the thrill of adventure to sharpen young minds."

"Cheers."

—

After a hard day's work, and a glass jar full of bank notes and coins, Arthur headed home where a spacious, but cold shelter was waiting for him. Behind him, Arthur heard the sound of running footsteps. Probably some kid running home before it gets dark.

Some kid who was running home with my donations! Arthur realized, when a boy snatched the jar from his hands as he ran past him. The kid flew past him as he made his getaway, nearly losing Arthur in the process as he made a turn. But Arthur was fast and soon caught up with him.

As Arthur turned the corner, he was greeted with an unexpected sight—the thief, gripped by the shoulder by a spectacled old man, with thinning white hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Like Father Christmas catching a cookie thief red handed.

"There he is." The man gestured to Arthur and addressed the boy. "I believe you owe this man an apology."

"Sorry for taking your jar. I was only going to nick a few shillings, I was going to give it back I swear!" The boy apologized and tried to explain his side of things.

"So, if it's only a few shillings, it's alright is it?" Arthur retorted. Feeling annoyed after hearing the boy's justification. Just because the theft was small, it didn't mean it wouldn't be missed. If the boy were in a higher grade, he would be stealing from his own trip fund. He had no idea what he was stealing from.

"Run along now, before I tell your mother about your thieving ways." The man advised the boy and sent him on his way home.

"I didn't know this village was raising children to become future embezzlers." Arthur voiced his displeasure with a quip. It might make him look like a cynical bastard, but at least it made him feel better.

"You'll have to forgive young William. Boys his age can be so impulsive." The man excused William's actions, with a knowing voice that spoke of experience dealing with such matters.

Tell me about it. Arthur thought back to his mailbox destroying days. The moment of self-reflection reminding him that he'd been a boy once, too. Perhaps, he'd been a smidge too hasty in judging William.

"I'm Dr. Wilton. But you can me Merle." Dr. Wilton shook Arthur's hand. "Haven't seen you around here, before." He observed with an inquisitive tone, hoping that Artur would share a little about himself.

"I haven't needed to visit a doctor since I moved here." Arthur told him. His answer satisfying the doctor.

"Well, if you ever need medical attention, my clinic is right by the Indian restaurant." Merle informed Arthur. His considerate nature, a refreshing departure from the foreboding doctors, roaming the streets Arthur had grown accustomed to.

"Will do." Arthur said with a chipper voice, as he waved goodbye to the doctor.

—

As Arthur went to bed that night, thoughts of his brother Percy crept into his mind. Though Percy would never see his contribution to the village, Arthur hoped that with one, small act he had done a bit of good in this world and made his brother proud.

A week passed and Arthur went in to work with a lightness in his heart, knowing that the village children were about to embark on a delightful journey of discovery. Opening his colourful umbrella to keep the raindrops away once work was finished, Arthur hurried on home.

His jolly umbrella however had not gone completely unnoticed. Its bright colours catching the eye of the curious Elaine, who followed Arthur and wondered why he was entering a shelter when he had a perfectly good umbrella. Waiting a few moments after Arthur had closed the hatch, Elaine followed after him.

Once inside, with his back facing the entrance, Arthur shook the water droplets off the umbrella when heard a sound. The dreaded sound of someone climbing down the ladder.

"Shit! You nearly scared the living daylights out of me." Arthur cursed, after turning around and seeing Elaine.

"Sorry! I couldn't exactly knock. I was wondering why you were going down here." Elaine apologized, when she saw how cross she had made him. Arthur had seemed so good natured when she first met him, where was that man now? She wondered, furrowing her brow.

"I was looking for underground mole people. Use your imagination." Arthur snapped and sighed when Elaine fell silent. He would have to explain himself further.

"This is my home now. I used to live in a town, that was collapsing in on itself. No one realized it was happening. So, I fled here, hoping for a fresh start."

"I can't imagine what that must have been like..." She said softly. The looming fall of Wellington Wells, making her realize that Arthur needed something that would make him rise.

"You don't have to be alone here, Arthur. The town is throwing a going away party before the students leave, why don't you come with me?"

"Alright, then."

Going into the town hall in his best suit and trousers, Arthur admired how lovely Elaine looked in her green dress and cream jacket amongst the crowd. The whole town was practically here. Children, adults, grandparents of the students about to travel abroad for the first time. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

As Arthur danced with Elaine enjoying her pleasant company and the thrill of dancing, one of the older women in the village mistook him for someone else and pulled him by the hand towards her.

"Come dance with me, Alastair!"

Not wanting to disappoint, Arthur joined hands with her. His legs stepping forward and going back, while she mirrored his dance moves as best as she could. It was in this moment, Arthur realized, that he finally felt right at home in the village he was once reluctant to know.

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by a BBC documentary made in the sixties, where hundreds of students went on educational cruises to countries like Greece. I thought it would be nice to have Arthur being generous and fitting in, in his new village.


End file.
